Lycanthrope, Vampirism, and Magick

Lycanthrope, Vampirism and Magick Chapter Eight


“Hey there, honey. You okay?”

Xander had heard Phoebe coming down the hall before he had even scented her. He knew his friend was worried about him, and to tell the truth he maybe needed someone to worry right now. After getting some much needed rest he’d spent the day with Spike, catching up on what had been happening with the remaining Scoobies.

“Yes. No. I don’t . I. I feel guilty I wasn’t there, but glad all the same. It wasn’t like I had it easy either. Still, maybe I should have gone back; it was just so hard. Maybe if I’d been there Willow wouldn’t have almost destroyed the world when her lover died. Hell, maybe I could have kept Buffy from dying. I just don’t know, there are so many might have beens that it hurts.”

Phoebe kneeled down in front of where Xander was sitting and put her hands on his knees in a friendly caress. “You know, you told us all about leaving Sunnydale, and what happened after, but you never said why you didn’t go back.”

Xander sighed. “It was complicated. At first I didn’t call and ask for help with my car because I was tired of being bailed out all the time; I wanted to stand on my own two feet. Then, well, then I was bitten and I tried, I really did. But either I got a busy signal, or no answer, or when I did get them it was like they didn’t even hear what I was saying.”

“I asked for Oz once, he was the other werewolf I was telling you about. Willow started crying and Buffy jumped down my throat. Him and Wills had broken up anr sor some reason Buffy thought I knew about it. After that, well, I wasn’t in one place for long, and I didn’t have a cell so I just stopped trying. I did manage to stay in one place and get through to Giles’s house and spoke to Spike, of all people. I left a message, worded to make sure that Spike would give it to the guys. They just never called and I gave up.”

“Ouch.”

“Yeah. I mean, I know they had stuff going on too, but it hurt and I had so many other things happening and once things calmed down and I learned to control the wolf, well, it was hard to take that first step back.”

”Well, Xan, maybe you can start now. It’s never too late.”

Xander turned and looked at the figure on the bed he was sitting by. Cordelia was still; he could bareear ear her heart and lungs working. A magical coma. He wondered if Sleeping Beauty had dark circles under her eyes too.

“Sometimes it is too late, Phoebes. I never got to see Cordy all grown up and confidant and bitching at Angel for ruining her good shoes.”

Phoebe stood up and put a hand on his shoulder. “Hey, maybe Leo can figure out what to do, or there’s something in the Book of Shadows. They’ll be here tomorrow and you know we’ll try. Now come on, it’s time for the boys' bottles and it’s your turn.”

He kissed Cordy’s forehead before leaving the room. He knew his friends would do what they could for the girl, but still he felt guilty. Maybe if he’d been around he could have warned them about Cordy’s mystical pregnancy and they could have stopped it before anything had happened to his first love.

***

Hours later and he was prowling the hotel in the darkness. The full moon was in two days and he always felt like he had more energy than he knew what to do with. He needed to run, to hunt, but they were still trying to keep a low profile.

So he found himself in the back corridors of the hotel. In areas that hadn’t been inhabited for years, where the dust was so thick it clung to his nose and he left prints in the hallway. Finally he couldn’t stand being inside anymore; the walls felt like they were closing in, trapping him inside. He hated the feeling of being caged or chained. He didn’t like it when he was a human and now as a werewolf it was almost a full on phobia.

It made him admire Spike. The vampire had put up with being chained for years, the chip in his head keeping him from acting out his true nature. Not that he wasn’t glad that the vampire wasn’t out maiming and killing, but he knew he’d rather be dead than caged like that. Even if it was a virtual cage like the chip.

Finding the stairs that led to the roof, he made his way up. He was shifted halfway, and the claws on his feet made odd clicking sounds on the stairs. When he made it out he lifted his muzzle, scenting the night air. The waxing moon hung low in the sky and again he wanted to go out, run something down, be it demon or deer.

He settled for shifting to human and lying on his back, watching the night sky. Occasionally planes from LAX flew overhead but other than that it was just the moon and the constellations. Back in high school he’d been lucky to find the Big Dipper or Orion. After years on the road alone, he knew them by heart.

The moon was halfway across the sky when he heard the door to the roof open and the sounds of two sets of footsteps. No heartbeats, so it was Angel and Spike.

He’d managed to put his past with Angel aside, even felt for the man who was still so obviously grieving for his son. He couldn’t imagine the pain of having to bury your child. And Spike he found that he liked the blonde’s attitude. Plus he was fun to taunt.

He didn’t move, and the scent of cigarette smoke and leather settled to his left while the scent of sandalwood and wool was to his right.

“You know, Pet, if I’d known you’d go into a full on brood I’d have lied to you about some of the happenings in the Dale. Just got Peaches’s head out of his arse, don’t need you bringing him down with your droopy face.”

“Go screw yourself, Spike.” He grabbed the cigarette out of the vampire’s mouth and took a drag, immediately hating himself for it and coughing. “Christ, Spike, can’t you at least steal thod sod stuff? I’ve smoked better stuff out of a shaman’s gardens than this crap, you can taste the chemicals.”

“Not us, mate, and not the humans. Guess you’re just lucky. Smokes years ago didn’t have all that artificial crap added.”

“Yay me, I can go around with the taste of formaldehyde in my mouth for the rest of the night. Ick.”

Spike just snorted to himself and lay down beside Xander, shoulders just touching. The pheromones the two vampires always put out when they were together were nearly overwhelming and Xander closed his eyes for a moment, trying to adjust. He calmed himself and reached out, pulling on Angel’s arm till the older vampire was lying down as well.

Nng wng was said out loud, but between sound and scent Xander felt as if he was being overwhelmed. Grief, guilt, sadness, forgiveness, lust, love; it was all there, swirling like a vortex around the three figures.

Xander thought back on his conversation with Phoebe in the kitchen while he was making the babies' bottles earlier that day. His habit of using bartending tricks of flair, juggling and stops, mixed the formula well. She had brought up the obvious attraction he felt for both vampires and he had dismissed any thought of starting any type of relationship with either of them, using the excuse of not wanting to leave the Sisters after finding a family after so long and the men’s apparent lust for each other.

Phoebe, however, had called him on both excuses. “Okay, the Los Angeles versus San Francisco thing, not a problem. If I can live in Hong Kong for a while and make it back and forth almost every day we can manage different arof Cof California for babysitting needs.” She grinned. “Besides, who knows, Gunn is awfully cute and doesn’t mind the whole witch thing or the demon fighting. I think I may have to snatch him up before Paige gets here. Hell, I’m already ahead of myself if we date, and while Gunn might not be some big shot he sure as heck isn’t the Source of All Evil.”

Taking one of the bottles she started feeding Chris while Xander handled Wyatt. “Now, as for those two getting it on... well, I’ve talked to Lorne and from what I can tell, while Angel and Spike may love each other, they can’t really get along without someone mediating. They are just too alike, too alpha male to get along for any period of time without blowing up at each other. In fact, I think they need you, Xander. They need you to balance them out.”


Lying there on the roof between the two men, Xander couldn't help but wonder if she was right. It felt like he had come home after being away for ery ery long.

Suddenly it was Angel who broke the silence by laughing softly. Xander just rolled over to look at him while Spike sat up to get a better view.

“What’s so funny, Poof?”

“Us. I was remembering all those years ago when we first met up again back in Sunnydale, when I offered you Xander here as a snack.”

Spike laughed but Xander reached out and poked the dark vampire. “I remember that! I was so pissed at you I hardly had time to be scared of Blondie here.”

“You smelled delicious, Pet. All that fear and lust and anger. Spunky, that’s it, you were spunky.” Spike flicked what was left of his cigarette away and reached over to run a hand over Xander’s arm, his cool touch raising goose bumps.

Xander rolled his eyes but didn’t pull away. “Yeah, cause that is so how I wanted to be remembered from high school, as spunky.”

“Better than being remembered as dinner, Pet. Still, you're right Peaches; who would have thought we’d end up here?”

“It’s the what might have beens that get you. Thinking of how things can be diffe. T. That’s what I was figuring out when you two came up here, how to let go of the possibilities.” Xander felt as if time had slowed down, that a crossroad in his life was coming. He’d say it was a sense of destiny if he was being overdramatic.

“You gonna be okay with your might have’s, Angel?” Spike was still caressing his arm and Xander took the plunge, reaching out to stroke the side of Angel’s face; he could feel a shudder run though the vampire.

“I think I may be getting there, actually. You thinking of staying in L.A. after we help your friends?” The question was asked casually but there was a feeling of another question being asked of him silently. Did he want this?

“Yeah, I’m thinking of it. After all, either Leo and Paige can orb me there to help with the boys or they can come here. And Phoebe har sir sights set on Gunn, so it’s not like they won’t be running back and forth either. You guys mind?”

“Not at all, Love, can’t wait to see you hunt; bet you’re beautiful.” Spike’s voice sounded like it had gotten deeper and Xander couldn't help but feel the pull of the two vampires. The air was thick with their combined scents and it was like a drug, making his eyes grow heavy with lust.

“Angel?”

“I think it would be nice to have someone help me keep Spike here in line.”

“Here now, who’s to say we won’t gang up on you?” Xander couldn't help but grin and his hand started to wander down Angel’s chest, stopping at his nipples and circling.

Angel growled low. “That can be good too.”

Meanwhile, Spike’s hand had gone on a little exploration of its own and suddenly it was cupping Xander's groin and he started to pant.

“I’m thinking thatng ing inside and finding someplace a little more comfy would be good right now.”


Xander thrust into Spike’s hand and his voice was thick with need. “Why, Spike, I always thought of you as the public sex type.”

Angel chuckled. “He is. I seem to remember being caught by the Bobbies in London one night after scaring the owner of a hansom cab; we weren’t even trying to scare him at the time.”


“Ha ha, Peaches, that was your idea, you know. Now come on the both of you. Public is all well and good but there’s gravel digging in my arse.” Spike stood and extended a hand to both Xander and Angel. They shared a look of amusement and let themselves be dragged up. Neither let go of the hand that helped them up right away.

“Can’t have that can we, Angel? Not when there’s something better to have digging in Spike’s ass.”

“Guess we’ll have to take care of that, won’t we?”

They reached the door leading into the hotel and stopped. Xander looked deep into each vampire's eyes in turn. Both pairs had a touch of sadness, Angel's more than Spike's, but both were full of lust and what just might be love. He leaned forward and kissed first Spike, then Angel, using his mouth to say what he was feeling, the caring and love.

He pulled back and panted while watching the two vampires kiss, sharing tongues. He found himself getting harder than he could ever imagine. When they pulled apart he grinned at both of them.

“Great show, see if you can catch me for the main event.” With that he flung open the door and raced down, using every bit of his supernatural speed and agility to lead both of his soon-to-be lovers to a room as far away from the inhabited area of the hotel as possible. No need to wake the others up with their howling, and howl they would.